Preparations in full swing for Cruisin' Downriver

Preparations are in full swing throughout Downriver for the July 8 inaugural Cruisin’ Downriver car cruise.

The cruise, which will become an annual event, will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. down Fort Street between Southfield and Sibley roads.

The route goes through the cities of Lincoln Park, Southgate, Riverview and Wyandotte. There will be no registration to participate, and there are plenty of events being planned along the route for participants to stop and swap stories, buy memorabilia and food and take in some entertainment.

"Cruisin’ Downriver is going to be kind of a spine for the region and we look to all of the communities to give it a body, with events centered around the cruise," said Edward Clemente, president of the Southern Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, which is helping coordinate the event with The News-Herald Newspapers.

"I think this is going to be a great success, it will be a Downriver homecoming," Clemente said. "We’re urging people here to invite friends and family back Downriver for a homecoming."

"We’ve been working with the chamber, Wayne County, the state, car clubs and the communities to make sure this is a great communitywide event and a great success," said Donald Thurlow, publisher of The News-Herald/Heritage Sunday Newspapers.

"I think the homecoming theme is very appropriate for Cruisin’ Downriver," Thurlow added. "We’re looking forward to a Downriverwide event to bring all of our communities together."

Timothy Durand, mayor of Riverview, said his community has already booked a band at the Riverview Public Library at Sibley near Fort for July 7, the night before Cruisin’ Downriver.

"We’re trying to kick the event off Friday with the concert incorporating the Teen Angels and maybe with a car club setting up a display," Durand said. "I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’s a natural for Downriver; it brings a lot of these informal (cruise) gatherings into one weekend."

Durand said several other events are in the planning stages.

Lincoln Park will set up a ’50s band at its band shell, Mayor Craig Sochocki said, and the city is trying to get a midway set up at Fort and Southfield.

"We’re putting the word out to all of the churches and community groups to plan events around Cruisin’ Downriver," the mayor said. "I think it’s going to be great for the communities Downriver and great for our businesses."

Southgate’s Special Events Commission has already met, said Mayor Sue Hall, and is changing the dates of some previously planned events to coincide with the cruise.

"We’re changing events already and our intention is to have tents along the route and invite community groups to come in and do different things, like face painting and entertainment," Hall said. "We will just have a great time, a big party.

"It gives Downriver a chance to shine, a chance to improve our image," she said. "We’re excited."

Lawrence Stec, mayor of Wyandotte, said his community development director is already hard at work and is planning several events around Cruisin’ Downriver.

"We’re looking forward to having it," Stec said. "It sounds exciting; I’ll see you there."

State Rep. William O’Neil (D-Allen Park) said the event will be good for the entire area, not just those communities the cruise goes through. He said he expects every community Downriver to plan something around that weekend.

The Trenton Mid-Summer Festival is the same weekend as the cruise, and it will tie it into the cruise, beckoning cruisers to head to the festival in downtown Trenton when they need a break from the action.

"I’m thrilled. When I read it, I thought, ‘How cool,’ " O’Neil said. "This is really a good way to promote Downriver. This is huge."

Dana DeCoster, publisher of Sterling Heights-based Cruis’News, which has a statewide circulation of about 6,000, said he’s been waiting to hear something from Downriver.

"I’m sure it’s going to be a phenomenal success. It’s long overdue," DeCoster said. "There are so many hot rodders and custom guys Downriver, it’s got to be a success; it will be sweet."